Sophomore Focus Paper

I'm handing this assignment to you on Tuesday, but here's a preview for your web-reading types.

Gifted English II
Paper Assignment: Julius Caesar
Due Date: Tuesday, January 31, 2006

Select one of the following topics to address in a brief (350-400 word) well-organized essay. Essays must be typed, double-spaced, with draft work attached in order to receive credit; do not consult outside sources, but rely on your original analysis of the play to support your assertions. Underline or italicize your thesis statement. Papers that have been taken to the Writing Center will be awarded an additional five points.

NOTE: The proper format for quoting material from a play is as follows: “Speak, hands, for me!” (III, i, 214). The act is a capital Roman numeral, followed by the scene, denoted by a lower-case Roman numeral, followed by the line number(s) in Arabic numerals. Punctuation follows the parentheses. We’ll go over the proper method for quoted material in class, and you can reference your handy copy of The Elements of Style as well.

This essay is due by 3 p.m. on Tuesday, January 31. If you are absent on that day, make arrangements to have your paper faxed to Boone at 407.897.2466, attention Hilley, or e-mailed to me by the requisite deadline. Faxed papers will not be penalized; e-mails will face a ten-point penalty, since I then have to print the darn thing for you. Do not bring me a disk. Do not bring me excuses. Just do it.

You will be given time in class on Wednesday to develop a draft.

Topic Choice #1: Evaluate the role of Marcus Brutus as a tragic hero. What are his flaws? His strengths? How does Shakespeare characterize him, thus bringing a figure from history into a fictitious context?

Topic Choice #2: Assess the use of rhetorical strategies on the part of the speakers in this play, and do not rely solely on the speeches in Act III. What figurative devices are used throughout the play in dialogue? What commentary, if any, does Shakespeare seem to offer on the power of oratory?

Topic Choice #3: The concept of appearance vs. reality is a dominant theme throughout Shakespearean literature. How does this concept appear within this play? What characters present themselves in one light, but truly embody sharply different traits? What elements of deception and duplicity emerge as significant references throughout the play? How does appearance vs. reality serve as a catalyst for conflict within the play?